destruction and not to edification no better then a doctrine of licentiousnesse or sedition and despaire which eftoones was in esteeme as Angels foode sweeter then honey pretious aboue rubies most orient gems Which seeing it hath beene also the portion of this truth concerning witchcraft is it any maruell if what man opposeth and seeketh to suppresse the Lord himselfe hath powerfully maintaind and iustified as prouing vnto it gainesayers a sauour of death that haue refused to embrace the same as a sauour of life vnto life Surely when I discerne the efficacy of delusion preuailing in these dayes euen vpon such that haue tested of the good word of God and beene pertakens of the enlightning spirit and so haue had some kenning of the power of the life to come and yet are so falue away from conscience yea from science it selfe that they are very strangers from the life of God through their affected ignorance and being willingly ignorant of what they haue formerly beene conuinced of are growne to bee starke-mockers of all powers yet all forme of Religion and so in this their Atheisme sing a Requiem to their soules fearing no other hell then to be mooued in their slippery state and dreaming of no other heauen then to build their foundation in the sands Mee thinkes I see the foolish worldling on the pinnacle of his confidence and so in his greatest security lying open to confusion And do I not see the Iustice of God working wonderfully herein in besotting the foole in his owne wisedome Euen giuing him vp to rest vpon such broken reedes for the securing of his Babel which are the onely meanes to confound the same And hath not the God of the world by diuine permission a speciall stroke in this delusion not only to proue a lying spirit in the mouth of our false Prophets bidding to go THE Particular Contents This Treatise is digested into three Bookes In the Former whereof is contained FIrst the Occasion and scope of this Discourse in Sect. 1. pag. 1. Aud therein prooued that this Doctrine of Witch-craft is necessarie to be prosecuted and ohserued in these dayes Sect. 2. pag. 16. Chap. 1. Secondly it is proued that there haue beene are and shall be Witches to the worlds end both by sound Testimonie 1. from the Word p. 25. 2. from Antiquitie p. 26. 3. from pregnant reasons p. 27. and so snch Obiections answred as seeme to contradict this Truth page 35. Chap. 2. Thtrdly it is declared what Witch-craft properly is where both the Nature Causes and Effectes are briefely opened and applied page 47. Wherein is set downe both that Satan 1. Can worke wonders p. 52. as also 2. The difference betweene true Miracles and Satans wonderfull workes p. 54. 3. And so the diuers kinds of these wonders are discoursed page 55. 4. Together with the intent how farre and in what Cases Satan can effect them page 55 56. Chap. 3. Fourthly is layde open the policie of Satan in drawing and vniting ignorant and vnstable soules to this Art Where first the Occasions are discouered page 57. 2. Hereupon the manner of Satans working and enueighling to this Trade page 58. 3. And of his seuerall Impostures and treacheries therein against the poore soule p. 61. 4. And so of the entring his Nouices into this Schoole With the Vse thereof page 62. 5. It is further manifested by what meanes Satan now confirmeth and detaineth his Proselites in this mystery where 1. Of the Couenant which passeth betweene the Witch and Satan to this end And here first prooued that there is such a couenant p. 65. 2. Of the nature and bruticall bond of the couenant is set downe 3. The diuers kindes of the Couenants are discryed and so the policie of Satan therein further opened p. 68. 4. The ground of the Couenant is searched and therein Sathans policie also detected p. 69. 70. With the Vses thereof p. 72. 5. The Partes of this couenant distinguished 1. What Satan bindes himselfe to doe for the Witch p. 78. 2. Wherein the Witch is bound to the Diuell p. 86. And the seuerall sleights of Satan in each coniectured p. 87. Chap. 5. Sixtly is declared what Ceremonies Sathan doth accompanie this Couenant withall the better to detaine and hold his vassals to the performance thereof Whereof the secret Marke of the Witch p. 88. 2. Of conuenting them into the Church page 90. and there First To renounce their Baptisme p. 91. 2. To offer vp their blood in sacrifice to the Diuell 3. Of kissing Satans backe parts 4. Of carnall societie by Satan with Witches Together with the speciall sleights of Satan therein p. 92. and the Vse thereof page 94. Chap. 6. Seuenthly diuers other meanes are layd downe whereby Satan confirmes his Proselites as Cap. 7. page 124. Diuers kinds of Witch-craft are opened both 1. That which consists in Diuination wherein first is shawed p. 128. That Satan can foretell in some measure things to come p. 129. 2. How farre he may proceed therein page 131. Wherrin is layd downe the difference betweene Diuine and Satanicall predictions page 132. 3. The diuers meanes are discouered whereby Satan foretells things to come as by true Creatures As 1. Flight of Birds page 136. 2. The Intrals of Beasts ibid. 3. The Obseruation of the Starres and heauenly bodies condemned p. 137. with answere to Obiections to Astrologie page 138. 4. Dreames 5. Lots Wherein is set downe the right vse of these things Namely How the Doctrine of the Starres is to be vsed What Dreames are to bee heeded page 144. and so the differeuce between diuine and other dreames manifested p. 135. as also How Lets are to be vsed and heerein the peruerse abuse of these things discouered and reiected p. 149. Secondly it is declared how Satan deceiues and foretels things to come by forged meanes as answering in the shape of a Dead body p. 151. 2. Where it is prooued particularly That the Resemblance appearing to Saul was not true Samuel but Satan in his likenes p. 152. Thirdly it is prooued that Satan also vseth to foretell things to come without meanes and that either by Reall possessing of the soules bodyes of men p. 155. Or else by Obsession and inspiring them with his euill counsels Where particularly is declared the differences betweene Satanicall Reuelations Exthusiasmes And Those true and Heauenly Reuelations wherewith the true Prophets of God were furnished to declare the will of the Lord in extraordinarie times and oceasions page 156. And so the vse thereof commended to the church of Christ Iesus cha 8. It yeeldeth further to declare another kinde of Witch-craft which consists in operation p. 157. And heere first of working Wonders by Charmes that it is vnlawfull Where are answered diuers Obiections seeming to iustifie them and so all sortes of Charmes condemned page 158. c. Either by Words sacred or prophane page 160. Or by making of Characters p. 167. Images Circles Vsing of Amulets Scratching
SATHAN TRANSFORMED into an Angell of Light expressing his dangerous Impostures vnder glorious shewes Emplified Specially in the Doctrine of Witch-craft and such sleights of Satan as are incident thereunto Very necessary to discerne the speci-Plague raging in these dayes and so to hide our selues from the snare thereof LONDON Printed by Barnard Alsop 1622. To the right worshipfull Alderman Holiday the worthy Gouernour of the East Indian Merchants together with the prouident Treasures and graue Committees and the rest of the aduenturers in that famous trade All things pertaining to life and godlinesse RIght worthy and beloued in our Lord Iesus Christ It is the wonderfull mercy and exceeding patience of our gratious God towards vs of this sinfull Nation that in the middest of such fearfull stormes and bloody garboyles deuouring our neighbors round about vs wee of this Iland though as it were enuironed round about with such tempestuous seas do yet notwithstanding enioy such temperate seasons as not onely to eate the fruite of our owne labours but to be enabled moreouer out of our aboundance to entertaine and releeue our distressed neighbours And is not the wisedome of God admirable herein to warne vs to looke home when our neighbours house is on fire and to make it our owne case what is common to vs with others Is not his mercy vnspeakeable that seeing charitie couereth a multitude of sinnes and much is forgiuen to those that loue much therefore wee may haue hope of Gods longer forbearance indulgence towards vs so long as we regard the afflictions of Ioseph by our brotherly affections beare one anothers burthen Surely though the sickle must be put in when the haruest is ripe and there are too many signes among vs that the regions are white vnto the haruest yea that the Deere is gone out to go through the land yet euen here I haue obserued these meanes to stay the execution First when there are some remaining to stand in the gap to turne away the wrath Secondly when the Lord is iustified and approued by his word And thirdly when by our compassion and prudence wee doe communicate with the afflictions of our brethren and so voluntarily suffer with them in their distresses Wherein as we haue speciall cause to blesse our gratious God for his good hand with our worthy Nehemiah in this holy worke so are wee wisely to secure our selues in succouring others and doing good while wee haue time to the houshold of faith Shall not Sathan and his instruments herein otherwise condemne vs who if euer heretore do speedily combine them selues against the Lord and his annoynted whose maine policy it is in these latter dayes to disunite the hearts of Christians and to weaken their hands that they may more speedily and easily make prey of them Doe not his croaking frogges those infernall Iebusites compasse land and sea to this end creeping into the chambers yea into the harts of Princes both to exasperate such as are auerse against the poore mēbers of Christ and also alienate euen the well affected from the maintenance of the common faith And doe wee thinke that they haue left any stone vnrowled to compasse the same can we imagine but that these spirits of diuels haue waded into the depth of their fathers methods and as she in the Poet When heauen will affoord no helpe shee 'le moue the infernall powers so in despite of heauen these limbs of Sathan haue now failed to employ the powers of darkenesse for the more effectuall deluding of the children of disobedience And are not these the times wherein if it were possible the very elect may bee seduced and ensnared hereby Is not the wisdome and iustice of God admirable herein that when the Foole saith in his heart there is no God the Atheist dreams of no other hell but to bee in debt and affliction and so plots by all meanes to build his heauen on earth by wallowing in all excesse of riot and vanitie as hereby he reapes such wages of his error as is meet euen to be giuen vp to a reprobate sense and so not onely to all monstrous and desperate wickednesse but euen to maintaine and secure the same against all future reckonings as if he had made a couenent with hell and were at an agreement with death so is he iustly taken in his owne craftinesse and most wonderfully arrested by the power of hell to the apparant confusion of his imagined happinesse and while hee dreames of no other heauen but to doe what hee list in earth hee is not onely therein restrained by the power of heauen to the confusiō of his present hopes for the good of the Saints but also iustly caught in the snares of his owne wickednesse by the power of hell as to beginne and seale hereby vnto him eternall vengeance and to hasten him thereto so that the righteous may more wonderfully escape of our trouble when the wicked are falne into the pit they digged for them Surely as it is a righteous thing with God that they that doe not receiue the loue of the truth shall be giuen vp to strong delusions to beleeue lies so if euer satan were transformed into an Angell of light and so more effectually by his lies and subtilties did deceiue vnstable soules If euer the sure word and wonderfull workes of God were outfaced and suppressed by the sleights and forgeries of the God of this world the experience here of is most notorious in our times to instance in this particular being the subiect of our experience how mightily the Lord hath iustified his word both auouching in these dayes the truth of this doctrine of Witchcraft as also euidencing the power thereof in dissoluing the workes of Satan as experience hath made it manifest so we haue had not onely the great Patrones and friends of the Church confirming the same but euen the Churches verie enemies haue beene enforced to acknowledge no lesse And yet such hath been the efficacy of delusion that this very same most glorious truth vpon other respects as it hath found hard measure among fained friends so it hath also thereby beene traduced and peruerted by it enemies And surely we may the lesse wonder hereat if we consider wisely that as commodities are in request with many according to their diuers humours and different seasons so doth it befall the sacred truth which though it be sometimes in request when it may serue to aduance the pride of the flesh and infancie of religion yet doth it easily grow out of date when either it tends to humble the flesh or iustly challengeth lukewarmnesse and hypocrisie Which as it was the portion of the Lord and master of the Church sometimes to bee cryed vp with Hosanna eftsoones to bee cryed downe with crucifige so hath it beene the lot of the scepter of this kingdome the budding rod of Aaron sometimes to be turned into a serpent in the opinion of man as if it onely entended to
as confessing that to bee done by them which is done by Satan immediately telling of many things that are vntrue yet doth this the rather argue that they are led by Satan that hee doth many things by their appointment For seeing Satan is a Lyer from the beginning therefore doth hee both teach them to lie 1 That those which yet will depend on them may bee more inexcusable 2 That hee may also by this meanes make a Trade of lying And hee doth also giue them ocsion to lie vnwittingly in confessing that to be done by them which Satan did of himselfe that so hee may hasten them to their deserued condemnation causing their own tongues iustly to fall vpon them both in punishing their will though they did no hurt in this particular and meeting with former hidden wickednesse by this supposed arrogated crime But heere it is replyed that these poore women vse Salues and good prayers to the accomplishment of their cures and therefore neither is it likely that Satan would conioyne with such holy meanes and indeed it is needlesse if these will doe it to admit of Satans assistance thereto To which wee answere that neither are such medicines as are applyed vsually fit for all such cures because commonly they giue but one Salue for all diseases Or if they were why may not Satan vse these to cloke and colour his presence As for prayers neither are they auaileable in regard of the person being vsually prophane popish or ignorant neither indeed allowable to such ends but where other lawfull remedies may not bee had And may not Satan hide heereby his assistance more dangerously May hee not deceiue vnstable soules more desperately Thus it is apparant that there are Witches both by testimonies from the Word and by sound reasons conuincing the same And so Such obiections are answered as seeme to oppugne this sacred truth Now let vs consider further what Witch-craft is CHAP. III. 1 What Witch-craft is 2 Of the causes 3 And effects thereof VVItch-craft is a wicked Art seruing for the working of wonders by the assistance of the deuill so farre forth as God in Iustice shall permit An Art I say it is because it hath it Rules and Obseruations whereon it is grounded especially the Couenant with Satan and the circumstances The Author of these Rules is Satan the Prince of darkenesse raigning in the children of disobedience therfore by his knowledge of diuine duties and malice against God and his children framing these Rules to draw them from the seruice of God to the seruice of the Deuill And conueying these Rules vnto the Witches his chiefe Schollers that they might more easily and familiarly teach the wicked then if Satan himselfe should personally appeare vnto them And therefore it followeth that it is a wicked Art as proceeding from so fearefull a Teacher and tending to so wicked ends As 1 To worke wonders whereby it is proued to bee a Wicked Art as proceeding from that roote of Bitternesse euen a Desire to bee like vnto God to the compassing whereof what more colourable then to work wonders Thus did Satan preuaile with our first Parents and thus hee workes vpon their gracelesse posteritie as being incouraged daily herein by our naturall corruption And that especially discouering it selfe 1 By selfe loue and high conceipt of our owne deseruing which being not answered but rather crossed herein that he that hath most is neuer cōtēted he that hath lesse enuies him that hath more heerevpon Satan laies the foundation of this Art in the heart of man as heereby being perswaded that hee shall worke wonders both to relieue his pouertie and aduance his credit as exceeding all in this though hee come short in other things and hereby compassing the height of his desire Thus did many Popes aduance themselues as Syluester 2. Benedict 8. and Hildebrand This selfe conceit staies not here but as outwardly it affects to bee as a God among men by honour and promotions so doth it also inwardly affect and desire some such meanes whereby it may raigne in the consciences of men And to this end knowing men to affect nouelties doth it therefore in Curiositie search after knowledge and hidden Mysteries which being not supplyed by nature and ordinary meanes are therfore not vnwillingly sought by this forbidden skill And that the rather because hereby being enabled to confirme such new-found knowledge with strange wonderful euents by this meanes doth more strongly bind the conscience detaine in obedience Although all is done by no other meanes but 2 The assistance of the deuill wherby it is further distinguished from all other Arts which produce their effects by vertue of their owne ground not any outward helpe As also especially seuering heereby the wonders that are wrought by this Art those True Miracles that are wrought by Diuine Power These are such as are wrought by the power of God simply either aboue or contrary to nature as Exod. 14. 21. Exod. 6. 7. 8. those miracles done before Pharaoh by Moses and Iosh. 10. 13. The causing of the Sunne to stand in the firmament The preseruation of the Three Children in the fierie furnace Dan. 3. 20. Daniel in the Lyons Den Dan 6. 23. Math. 14. Ioh. 9. these haue God truely to bee their Authour As being the onely Creator of Nature 1 And therefore to God alone belongs to restraine or extend the power thereof 2 Especially seeing this is a kind of creation whereby that is to bee made which was not before Ps. 136. 4. And therefore if the Prophets and Apostles haue done any such wonders It hath beene 1 Not by their owne power or in their owne name but by the Name and power of God 2 Hauing an especiall and extraordinarie calling thereunto Act. 3. 12. Nay though the Son of God in his Man-hood did many miracles yet this was not by the Manhood wholy though thereby the worke being wrought was dispensed acted in such such a visible manner yet the work it selfe being cōtrary to nature was effected only by the power of the God-head as in the raysing vp of the dead the man-hood vttered the voyce but the God-head fetched the soule from heauen and put it in againe vnto the body yea giues life and power to heare the voyce vttered to rise come forth Ioh. 11. Math. 10. And therefore seeing Christ as man onely could not work these miracles It followeth that whatsoeuer are wrought by men are deceitfull and counterfait And being wonders and strange effects are therefore effected by the subtiltie of Satan as being able to doe strange things aboue the ordinarie course of nature though not simply contrarie thereto which ordinarily the wit of man cannot possibly produce And that 1 Because he being a spirit is of extraordinarie knowledge and capacitie to search into the secrets of nature and there to frame strange and wonderfull things And that
shed innocent bloud in accusing wrongfully Or at the best though the Law may bee satisfied yet God is not glorified nor themselues truely releiued Seeing by vsing vnlawfull meanes for helpe though the body may finde ease yet the soule thereby is more dangerously ensnared And hath not Satan another dangerous fetch in this subiection That whereas many diseases come of naturall causes which are well knowne to Satan though the simple people are vtterly ignorant thereof Yet seeing the Witch in malice intends the hurt of her neighbour and to this end sets Satan on worke heerevpon it is concluded that all diseases proceeds from Sorcerie and so heereby all sober and wise meanes are neglected to preserue health the bridle is giuen to all ryot and excesse and if any thing fall out the Witch is blamed and not our distempers SECTIO VIII THus we haue heard one part of the couenant What Satan must do for the Witch Now let vs consider on the other side What the Witch must doe for him againe The maine matter is that she must giue her selfe vnto him bodie and soule But this is coloured first by the Time he will not haue it presently because yet she hath not made vp the measure of her sinne And therein he deceiues her that she may repent of her bargaine God may change her minde c. and so drownes in securitie And to this end he hath another colour that is the condition if he performe faithfull seruice And therefore he will of purpose faile her sometimes that so she may hope her selfe free yea he doth vsually leaue her when Authority arrests to bring her to confusion that so now she may shame the deuill as wee say and so performe some hypocriticall repentance And yet for all this obserue I pray you his Deepenesse in making her sure Namely to preuent after repentance or at least to deceiue thereby CHAP. VI. Of the Ceremonies of the Couenant HE hath further diuerse ceremonies accompanying this couenant which tend very fearefully to the confirmation thereof And these are First As the Lord hath a speciall Seale to bind his seruants vnto his obedience namely the seale of Baptisme Rom. 4. So when Satan hath once obtained this absolute promise of his Prentices to yeeld themselues wholy to his deuotion then his manner is to set his seale vpon them thereby to appropriate them vnto him And this is commonly some sure marke vpon some secret place of their bodies which shall remaine sore and vnhealed vntill his next meeting with them and then for afterwards proue euer insensible howsoeuer it be pinched by any To assure them thereby that as therein he could hurt or heale them so all their ill and well-doing must depend wholy vpon him And that the Intollerable griefe they feele in that place may both serue to seale vp vnto them their eternall damnation And so to awaken and giue them no rest till the next meeting againe that so they may hasten the vengeance that now they haue tasted of This shall appeare the better if wee consider the next meeting and such circumstances of place and actions that are performed therein SECTIO I. Of the Place where the Witch is summoned for further confirmation and binding of her to Satan When Satan the Prince of darknesse that ruleth in the children of disobedience hath once entangled this Nouice within his snares and set his Priuie Marke vpon her thereby to bind her vnto him more surely That she may bee yet further giuen vp by the fierce wrath of the Almightie to his power he hath yet many other Policies to effect the same As first She must bee conuented solemnly into the house of God there to make open testimony of her subiection vnto him by renouncing all former couenants with the Lord. And heere Vsually these things are performed in their order First Satan blasphemously occupying the Place whence the holy Oracles are deliuered doth thence First require of his Proselite an acknowledgement of her couenant causing her vsually in her owne person to repeate the forme thereof As IN. do here acknowledge that vpon such condition I haue giuen my selfe vnto Satan to bee disposed of him at his pleasure And Secondly when this acknowledgement is made in testimoniall of this subiection Satan offers his back-parts to bee kissed of his vassall Thirdly this being done he then deliuers vnto his Proselite and so to the rest for many are conuened at this meeting the Rules of his Art instructing them in the manner of hurting and helping acquainting them with such medicines and poysons as are vsuall herevnto Fourthly Taking also account of the proceedings of his other Schollers and so approuing or condemning accordingly Fifthly for their further confirmation he yet enioynes them another ceremonie Namely to compasse about the Fount diuers times there solemnely to Renounce the Trinitie especially their saluation by Iesus Christ and in token thereof to disclaime their Baptisme Sixthly and in further token of their subiection vnto Satan in yeelding vp themselues wholy vnto his deuotion behold yet another ceremony heere vsually is performed namely to let themselues bloud in some apparant place of the body yeelding the same to be sucked by Satan as a sacrifice vnto him and testifying thereby the full subiection of their liues and soules to his deuotion Lastly to gratifie them somewhat for this their dutifull seruice it pleaseth their new Maister oftentimes to offer himselfe familiarly vnto them to dally and lye with them in token of their more neere coniunction and as it were marriage vnto him These are vsually the ceremonies wherby Satan binds his Proselites to keep couenant with him And his Policies heerein are manifold both in regard of the Witches themselues as also in regard of others that shall take notice thereof Concerning the Witches His Policie in conuening them into the Church is 1 Partly to procure in them a conceit of the lawfulnesse of the businesse as being done in so holy a place thereby to make them secure in continuing therein 2 As also to encourage thē the rather to hold out by reason of the companie where-with they meete ready to hearten by presence and example 3 And doth not Satan by this convening them into the house of God and there presenting himselfe vnto them procure in their minds a conceit of his Deitie and soueraigne Power that so they may yet better conceiue of their dealing with him and more willingly performe all couenants seeing as God he requires nothing but his due as God he will performe with them to the full and therfore they must not flinch from him 4 And surely if wee shall looke vp vnto the ouer-ruling hand of God heerein in giuing Satan his enemie leaue to Prophane the place of his worship and thus to appeare there vnto his Proselites for their further condemnation May not the Lord haue these ends herein in respect of
true Samuel would haue reproued Saul for running to Witches hee would haue exhorted him to repentance 1 And therefore though the Word call him Samuel yet this was according to that which seemed to delude Saul 2 And though Saul might bee told by the Appearance what should befall him yet might this bee done by Satan as being either acquainted by the Lord with his purpose heerein or coniecturing by Sauls case what was like to come to him for his disobedience to God As for that which the Church of Rome doates concerning the walking of dead men howsoeuer the Lord gaue power vnto his Prophets to raise the dead yet neither had this Witch any such power neither was the case necessarie why it should be at this time neither needed Satan to vse this meanes seeing he might doe the feat as well by himselfe counterfeting the shape and person of Samuel Neither may extraordinarie and miraculous working vpon speciall occasion bee traduced to warrant the ordinarie walking of persons after their deaths whose soules the Holy Ghost witnesseth to bee at rest and can their bodies walke without their soules Indeed when the Lord was either to plant or restore a Church out of it ruine and desolation wee finde in the Word this power of raysing from the dead to haue bene exercised profitably and therefore seeing now there was no such cause for this miraculous worke it followeth to bee the delusion of Satan and not the finger of God But here me thinkes I heere some reply that if this were but a collusion of Satan blinding and deceiuing Saul why might he not also deeceiue the Witch as pretending to bee raysed vp by her that she had power of him when it might bee but some iugling trick to bleare her eyes she raised vp no deuill in Samuels likenesse but rather was meerely deluded with a conceit heereof Surely howsoeuer the Patrones of Witch-craft would gladly thus cōclude to condemne the truth of the Word that there are Witches which worke by Familiar spirits yet doth the circumstance of the Historie plainely confound them Howsoeuer they also imply further that the Witch might suborne some man or woman in the likenesse of Samuel to giue this answere seeing no meere humane vnderstanding could attaine to that knowledge And therefore it necessarily followeth that the Witch by vertue of the couenant with Satan raised him vp He by his power and skill counterfeited Samuel at an ynch by his experience and office was able to acquaint him with Gods wil and so as an instrument of Diuine vengeance to hasten him to his destruction And as Satan thus foretells things by meanes eyther true or counterfeit so doth hee also Diuine without meanes either possessing those that are his oracles Acts the sixteene chapter and sixteene verse or inspiring them by outward obsession with his will and councells whereby they become counterfeit prophets and reuealers of things to come such as were the Sybills c. Of all which wee are to make this vse 1 As to iudge wisely of the power and manifold cunning of Sathan 2 So to consider of the preciousnesse of the soule for which Satan takes such paines becomes such a drudge c. and to preuent the Diuell by our care and diligence not so much for the bodie and the meate that perisheth but for the poore soule that it may be saued euerlastingly 3 Lastly seeing Sathan by these Inspirations and Exorcismes deceiueth the simple and vnstable soules causing them to beleeue that such trances and inspirations are from God therefore learne we to distinguish betweene Diabolicall Reuelations and the true gift of Prophecie which God in Trances reuealeth vnto his seruants As first Diuine Trances may bee where the soule for a time is seuered from the bodie 2. Cor. 12. 2. But in these Diabolicall though the senses may bee bound or benummed for a time yet the soule is neuer seuered from the body because this is a worke miraculous to take the soule out of the body and revnite it again 2 In Diuine Trances the poures and faculties of soule and bodie though their operations cease for a time yet remaine sound and perfect but in Satanicall Extasies the parties being cast into phrensies and madnesse the very faculties of nature are empaired and and so distempercd as that they seldome recouer the right vse againe At the best they cary some skarre of Satan to their graues whereas the Saints receiue a further measure of Illumination and encrease of grace in all their powers and faculties 3 Diuine trances do alwayes tend to the good of the Church confirmation of the Gospel and aduauncement of Pietie Acts 10. 11. those of Sathan to the contrary And thus farre of Witch-craft by Diuination CHAP. IX Of Witch-craft consisting in Operation COnsider we now of Witch-craft in operation which really worketh strange things This is done first by Enchantment namely when by some Charme wonderous workes are wrought Which is not onely expresly forbidden Deuter. chapter 18. verse 11. but is also manifest by the things wrought hereby As 1 Raising of Stormts 2 Poysoning of the aire 3 Blasting of Corne. 4 Killing of Cattell 5 Breeding strange torments in the bodies of men 6 Casting out of Diuells c. All which and such like workes belōging to the diuine power iustice If therefore they shall be imitated or in any measure effected by the creature It is a plaine vsurpation of the diuine office and a flat peruersion disgracing of the diuine Prouidēce as being accomplished by indirect meanes Now that these and such are the effects of Witch-craft It is not onely apparant by the Confession of Witches themselues but further cleared by the testimonie of the word who ascribeth this power vnto the Charmer Eccles. 10. 11. where the Originall yeelds thus If the Serpent bite before he be charmed what profite hath the maister of the tongue thereby that is the Charmer signifying therein that if the Charmer come in time he might preuent by his charme the Serpents stinging And what else I pray you doth Balaams words implie when being crossed by the power and mercie of God hee is forced to confesse that ther is no sercery against Iacob nor sooth saying against Israel Doeth hee not therein acknowledge That whereas hee was hired by King Balaac by some charme to hurt Gods People as being by Trade no better then a Coniurer though in the reputation of the ignorant and superstitious people hee was esteemed a Prophet his Charmes could not preuaile the Lord disappointed him And surely if wee should consider the nature of a Charme it will euidently appeare that it is but a colourable and counterfeit meanes vnder which Sathan shrowdeth his power and malice to diuine withall and so to destroy both bodie and soule Seeing a Charme is no other then a spell consisting of strange words wherin is pretended some secret